[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 21]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 28188]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING 90 WORLD WAR II VETERANS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JOHN M. SPRATT, JR.

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 18, 2009

  Mr. SPRATT. Madam Speaker, today, I am proud to honor a group of 90 
World War II veterans from South Carolina who will make their way on 
November 21st to Washington, DC, in order to visit the World War II 
Memorial among other national monuments. Their visit will include the 
Korean, Vietnam and Lincoln Memorials, along with the National Cemetery 
at Arlington.
  The veterans who make the journey to Washington represent all four 
branches of service, and they fought in all of the major theaters of 
the war. They fought in Europe in places like France, Italy, and 
Germany, and in the Pacific in islands like Guadalcanal and Okinawa. 
Represented in this group are veterans who saw service in pivotal 
battles such as D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, and Tarawa.
  WWII was a time when America was at her best. Our nation met the 
threats of tyranny and fascism and came to the aid of our allies. The 
valor of our veterans never shone more brightly, and the sacrifice 
borne by these veterans should never be forgotten.
  We can never forget that WWII was a time of triumph and tragedy. 
Sixty million people worldwide were killed, including 40 million 
civilians, and more than 400,000 American servicemembers were slain 
during the war.
  In South Carolina, the war was a time of special sacrifice. 166,119 
servicemembers from our state participated in the war. 4,153 lost their 
lives. We prize our WWII veterans in South Carolina and their tales of 
victory over tyranny.
  Accompanying these veterans and representing the future leaders of 
our military and our next generation of veterans are students from 
Andrew Jackson High School's Reserve Officers Training Corps. These 
young leaders will benefit from the mentoring and guidance provided by 
the WWII veterans during this trip.
  I would like to thank the volunteers from the Honor Flight of South 
Carolina. This group, ably led by Bill Dukes, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and 
Medal of Honor winner Charles Murray are to be commended for ensuring 
that these veterans have the opportunity to see the memorial dedicated 
to them.
  I ask the House of Representatives to join with me in honoring these 
90 veterans who make this memorable visit to Washington, and pay 
tribute to their service and sacrifice.

                          ____________________